Something Unique in Champagnes

In the advertising business (where I began my career) brand strategists are always looking to promote their clients’ “unique selling proposition"—some quality of the product (be it real or imagined) that sets it apart from the pack. The marketers of Champagne—long associated with celebration, romance, and sophistication— understood this concept way before Madison Avenue’s heyday.

The Champagne wine region is dominated by large brands producing millions of cases a year. The big “houses” that produce these brands are masters at worldwide marketing. It’s no mystery why this wine is often asked for by name—such as Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, or Perrier-Jouet—the same way that many consumers shop for stylish watches, handbags, and other luxury goods.

I have never been a slave to brand names so it is fitting that my first entrée into the wine business was spent at a Champagne tasting where I was introduced to another side of this luxury product category—the Grower Champagnes.

Agrapart & Fils, Cedric Bouchard, Pierre Peters, Jean Milan, Camille Saves, Henri Billiot & Fils, René Geoffroy, Gatinois, R.H. Coutier, Vilmart & Cie, Pierre Gimonnet, Gaston- Chicquet, Larmandier-Bernier, and Egly-Ouriet are names that many wine shoppers have never heard of. These and other Grower Champagnes will have the letters RM—Récoltant Manipulant (Grower Producer)—in small type on the label.

Unlike the big brand names that strive for a consistent “house style” by blending grapes and wines from all over the region, the Grower Champagnes are handcrafted by the grape farmers themselves in comparatively tiny quantities, from individual villages, sometimes from individual parcels. They offer something artisanal reflecting their own personalities—often with more depth and nuance than the famous-brand equivalents.

These Champagnes are not household names by any means but I believe they are the very definition of a unique and tangible selling proposition, which is something that no amount of marketing dollars can ever manufacture.

That’s something to ponder as you pick the potables for your New Year’s Eve celebration.

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Tags: New Year's Eve | wine | Champagne

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